A total hip arthroplasty (THA) procedure can be performed to repair a diseased or damaged hip joint and replace it with a hip prosthesis. Sometimes, as with any other mechanical device, a total hip replacement can be subject to various forms of mechanical or biological issues. When issues occur, a reoperation of the hip replacement can be necessary to resolve the issues. Such a reoperation of a THA is called a revision THA. This is usually done several years after the original implantation and is more common in patients who had the initial THA performed at a young age and the patient chose to have a very active physical lifestyle.
One of the challenges of a revision THA is how to securely implant the hip prosthesis, and in particular, how to securely implant an acetabular cup or shell of the prosthesis into the remaining bone of the patient, especially in the presence of poor bone quality or bone loss. Another challenge is achieving a uniform fixation material thickness (e.g., bone cement mantle thickness) between the prosthesis and the bone.